While football fans are focused on the European Championship, there is a break in the Lithuanian "A League." However, there is no lack of events in Lithuanian football - two teams are participating in European cups, others are making changes in their squads, or appointing new coaches. Let's try to take a look at what interesting has been happening in Lithuania this week.
Changes in Žalgiris
The Vilnius "Žalgiris" club, after playing just ten matches in the "A League," is preparing for changes in their squad. The legendary club, going through some difficult times, as tradition goes, sells several or more players to foreign clubs during the season.
A 21-year-old defender is heading to Russia for a trial at the Perm "Amkar" club and will soon sign a contract. Another Žalgiris defender, a 33-year-old veteran, has left for Kazakhstan where he is wanted by the "Almata" club. In addition to Tereškinas, this club is also interested in the backup Žalgiris goalkeeper Pavel Leus. Meanwhile, the young defender is currently participating in a trial at the Kharkov "Metalist" club in Ukraine.
The departing players should be replaced by former Žalgiris players, the brothers Artūras and Igoris Steško. Before the season, they moved to another capital city team "Vėtra," but did not fit in there, and are now returning to their previous club.
"Vėtra" prepares for departure
Having reached the second stage of the Intertoto Cup, Vilnius' "Vėtra" is preparing for the first match in Edinburgh against a local club. However, there were problems with the team's foreign players - Cameroonian Clement Beaudas and Nigerian Israel Douglas did not receive visas. After a theft at the club's office, the players' documents disappeared, so both foreign players could not travel to Estonia where the team played the return match against an Estonian club.
This time Beaudas will not be able to travel again, but it seems documents were sorted out for Douglas, who received a new Nigerian passport. "Vėtra" will arrive in Scotland on Friday, and the match will start on Saturday at 15:00 Lithuanian time.
"Kaunas" is looking for a coach through newspapers
FBK is looking for a coach - such an announcement can be found in some Lithuanian newspapers and the Russian sports newspaper "Sport-Express." This advertisement caused laughter for many, but according to representatives of "Kaunas," they just wanted to see what offers they could receive this way. However, the head coach of the Lithuanian champions' team, Šenderis Giršovičius, can feel safe, as they are looking for a coach for the second team "Kauno Jėgėriai."
Sadness in the stadiums
Sad mood in Klaipėda - a "Atlantas" fan Arūnas Lučiūnas, who died last Sunday, was buried there. According to his friends, the Klaipėda resident was severely affected by aggressive police behavior, as after the Intertoto Cup match, during a clash with the Moscow police, Arūnas was hit on the head with a baton. Later, the 22-year-old man returned home feeling unwell and died. However, according to experts who conducted an autopsy, he most likely died of food poisoning.
Such tragic events have affected his fellow fans and supporters from other cities - yesterday during the LFF Cup matches, mournful moods prevailed in the stadiums, and the most loyal fans, the so-called "ultras," hung posters with the inscription "Lithuanian police - killers." Such a poster was not liked by officials at the Žalgiris stadium in Vilnius, leading to a conflict. Fortunately, major incidents were avoided.